Device and methods for applying compositions to fabric surfaces

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10156036-B2
Application number	US-201514968279-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 14, 2015
Priority date	Jun 13, 2014
Publication date	Dec 18, 2018
Grant date	Dec 18, 2018

Abstract

A device and method for applying a material to a surface of a fabric. The device has a sensor and a microfluidic die. The device further includes a reservoir for containing a material to be deposited, and a CPU. The method includes providing information from the sensor about the surface to the CPU, which uses the information to identify where the material is to be deposited and/or how much to deposit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of depositing a composition on a surface of a fabric, the method comprising the steps of:
identifying a surface of a fabric onto which a composition will be deposited;
providing a device having a color sensor, a reservoir for the composition, a CPU, and at least one microfluidic die comprising at least one nozzle;
locating the color sensor over at least a portion of the surface of the fabric;
activating the color sensor to acquire a background L value for the surface of the fabric;
providing the acquired information to the CPU;
instructing the CPU to calculate a location of one or more deviations on the surface of the fabric by identifying a ΔLs value at the surface of the fabric of at least 0.5% of the background L;
and
activating the at least one nozzle to deposit the composition on the surface of the fabric at the location of the deviation.

2. The method of claim 1 , including the additional step of sensing the surface of the fabric after the composition has been deposited thereon.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fabric is selected from the group of: wovens, nonwovens, leather or other animal-based materials, microfibers, textiles, plastics, cotton, wool, synthetic fibers, and combinations of synthetic and natural fibers.

Assignees

• Procter & Gamble

Inventors

• Bush Stephan Gary
• De Castro Ted
• Frankenbach Gayle Marie
• Gruenbacher Dana Paul
• Morand Kenneth Lee
• Rabe Thomas Elliot
• Sherman Faiz Feisal
• Wernicke Todd Michael

Classifications

• H04N1/628

  Memory colours, e.g. skin or sky · CPC title

• G06T2207/10016

  Video; Image sequence · CPC title

• D06B1/02 Primary

  by spraying or projecting (D06B1/08 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06T7/0012

  Biomedical image inspection · CPC title

• G01N33/367 Primary

  Fabric or woven textiles · CPC title